Judges 9:2-3

9:2 “Tell ¹  all the leaders of Shechem this: ‘Why would you want ²  to have seventy men, all Jerub-Baal’s sons, ruling over you, when you can have just one ruler? Recall that I am your own flesh and blood.’” ³  9:3 His mother’s relatives ⁴  spoke on his behalf to ⁵  all the leaders of Shechem and reported his proposal. ⁶  The leaders were drawn to Abimelech; ⁷  they said, “He is our close relative.” ⁸ 

Judges 9:7

Jotham’s Parable

9:7 When Jotham heard the news, ⁹  he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim. He spoke loudly to the people below, ¹⁰  “Listen to me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may listen to you!

Judges 9:18

9:18 But you have attacked ¹¹  my father’s family ¹²  today. You murdered his seventy legitimate ¹³  sons on one stone and made Abimelech, the son of his female slave, king over the leaders of Shechem, just because he is your close relative. ¹⁴ 

Judges 9:24

9:24 He did this so the violent deaths of Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons might be avenged and Abimelech, their half-brother ¹⁵  who murdered them, might have to pay for their spilled blood, along with the leaders of Shechem who helped him murder them. ¹⁶ 

Judges 9:49

9:49 So each of his men also cut off a branch and followed Abimelech. They put the branches ¹⁷  against the stronghold and set fire to it. ¹⁸  All the people ¹⁹  of the Tower of Shechem died – about a thousand men and women.

¹ tn Heb “Speak into the ears of.”

² tn Heb “What good is it to you?”

³ tn Heb “your bone and your flesh.”

⁴ tn Heb “brothers.”

⁵ tn Heb “into the ears of.”

⁶ tn Heb “and all these words.”

⁷ tn Heb “Their heart was inclined after Abimelech.”

⁸ tn Heb “our brother.”

⁷ tn Heb “And they reported to Jotham.” The subject of the plural verb is indefinite.

⁸ tn Heb “He lifted his voice and called and said to them.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “have risen up against.”

¹¹ tn Heb “house.”

¹² tn The word “legitimate” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹³ tn Heb “your brother.”

¹³ tn Heb “their brother.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerub-Baal might come, and their blood might be placed on Abimelech, their brother, who murdered them, and upon the leaders of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to murder his brothers.”

¹⁶ tn The words “the branches” are supplied in the translation for clarification.

¹⁷ tn Heb “they kindled over them the stronghold with fire.”

¹⁸ tn Or “men,” but the word seems to have a more general sense here, as the conclusion to the sentence suggests.